25 May 2011

Look at this good looking boy. This is a picture taken a few years ago on his birthday - which he just celebrated his 15th birthday yesterday - opening gifts.
Looks like it might be a Sunday, as he has his white shirt on.
And here is Liam and I playing Battleship. It looks intense, right?
Also looks like Sunday - note the white shirt.
What do these two pictures have to do with each other? Both were taken in the kitchen.
When it was blue.
Once upon a time, I had a really great idea to paint the kitchen blue. I am not sure what I had in mind, I just knew this was not it as soon as I started painting.
But stubborn that I can very rarely be, I went ahead and painted it anyway. I spent money on that paint! And I had the time set aside to get working on it at that EXACT moment.
The blue was not awful, but in my opinion it never quite meshed with the other colors in the house, which are very earthy. I tried to convince myself it was the complimentary sky color to the earth color.
Or the complimentary water color to the earth color.
Not so much.
So after four years of it, I woke up one morning and asked Hero how he would like to paint the kitchen TODAY. He had the day, I had the day. It was meant to be.
Off to Lowe's we went, deliberated over paint chips, took the top 4 choices to the kitchen section to see how they looked with the cabinets, and agreed on this color.
Here is Hero now. Happy that the kitchen is painted and everything put away.
Thanks Hero.
Strangely, the color is VERY similar to the original builder's paint, but warmer and much better quality. Feels good to have a softer, more gentle color with all the activity in this room.
And this guy. Man, is he growing up.
I love all my boys.

16 May 2011

Now that I do not have pre-calculus homework most of the minutes that I am home, and after spending a few days getting caught up on current things, I moved way down my project list to this birthday banner.
I have seen lots of these banners and just love them. I really am drawn to text in artwork.
Three boys at home, so nothing girly.
I used three different black and white patterned fabrics, with black letters. And a light blue strip along the top. I am hoping this combination will work with most any birthday we celebrate.
Here it is all pinned together. A little overlap on the triangles because the light blue strip, which is extra wide double fold bias tape (it comes in lots of colors) was only so long. It just fit!
I used a zigzag stitch to hold it all together.
Look at those cute little letters! The tutorial that I used suggested felt, which is what these are. But these have a secret. It is sticky back felt, so I just cut them out and stuck them on - Easy!
They work great for now, but I am seeing in my future they will need to be sewn on. Not sticky enough. Rats.
I got everything at Hobby Lobby. There is the Prestofelt. Nice thing about this stuff, I can use the leftovers on the bottom of my chair legs. Cheap, too!
The bias tape comes just like this, folded over and ready to work. Love this stuff. Just slide the triangle in there, pin and sew. Done.
happy birthday
Love it!
I got so carried away cutting triangles, I had enough to make another banner. Since we have graduations and other significant events in our near future, I thought this might work.

Oh, and I totally passed my pre-calculus class with a B. No more math classes for me.
I did it!